NBA Announces Early Entry Candidates for 2012 NBA Draft

Players wishing to enter the 2012 NBA Draft were required to submit a letter to the NBA to be received no later than April 29. College players who did not hire agents were required to withdraw their names by April 10 to retain their eligibility.

Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the Draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on June 18.

The following is the list of players from U.S. colleges who have applied for early entry into the 2012 NBA Draft, which will be held Thursday, June 28th in Newark, New Jersey.

In a draft class lauded for its guards, three exceptionally talented, and wildly different, forward prospects sit in the top six of our mock draft, each taking a very different path to the top, and demonstrating wildly contrasting strengths and weaknesses. So who is the best prospect among the three?